Hello my friends,
Greetings.
This is Mark Gladman,
Also known as Brother Frederick James,
Your friendly neighbourhood monk in docks.
As we begin today,
I invite you to just take a moment now to settle.
Allow your breath to slow,
Your body to soften,
Your shoulders relax.
Hands resting easy,
Take a deep breath in and out.
There's no need to hurry,
No need to prove anything.
Just this moment,
Just this breath,
As we come to this final reflection in the first season of the guided meditations on the parables of Jesus.
Just allow yourself to arrive again in this space,
Open,
Curious and attentive.
Now this parable takes place in a temple,
In Luke chapter 18 verses 9 to 14.
Now the temple of course is a place of prayer and there are two people standing there,
Both are seeking God.
One's respected but the other is,
Well,
By a lot of people,
Avoided.
The respected one,
The Pharisee,
Speaks first.
And what he says isn't false.
He gives generously,
He fasts faithfully,
He lives carefully,
His words are very true but there's something hidden beneath them.
Comparison.
He measures himself against another person and finds comfort in the fact that,
In his mind at least,
He might be better.
The tax collector however,
The other one,
Doesn't compare,
Doesn't explain,
Doesn't try and defend himself,
Just stands fully aware of what he needs.
So maybe this story isn't about who's good and who's bad.
Maybe it's a story about honesty,
The kind of honesty that allows us to stand before God without pretending.
So as you listen today,
Just notice,
Where in your life might you be comparing instead of simply being honest?
So as always,
We'll begin just by listening to the story as Jesus told it.
Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves,
That they were righteous and regarded others with contempt.
He said,
Two men went up to the temple to pray,
One a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee standing by himself was praying thus,
God,
I thank you that I'm not like other people,
Thieves,
Rogues,
Adulterers or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week,
I give a tenth of all my income.
But the tax collector standing far off wouldn't even lift his eyes to heaven,
But was beating his breast and saying,
God,
Be merciful to me,
A sinner.
And I tell you,
This man went down to his home justified rather than the other.
For all who exalt themselves will be humbled.
And all who humble themselves will be exalted.
So let the image rest quietly with you right now.
Two people standing,
One speaking,
One silent.
Prayers rising from honesty.
So now let's listen again.
And as you listen,
Look for that word,
Phrase or image that seems to be calling to you,
The one that spirit seems to be bringing to your attention.
That might be right for you to hold on to and sit with today.
Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves,
That they were righteous and regarded others with contempt.
He said,
Two men went up to the temple to pray,
One a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee standing by himself was praying thus,
God,
I thank you that I'm not like other people,
Thieves,
Rogues,
Adulterers,
Or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week,
I give a tenth of all my income.
But the tax collector standing far off wouldn't even lift his eyes to heaven,
But was beating his breast and saying,
God,
Be merciful to me,
A sinner.
And I tell you,
This man went down to his home justified rather than the other.
For all who exalt themselves will be humbled and all who humble themselves will be exalted.
So now stay with that word,
That phrase,
That image that's caught your attention.
And allow it just to sit deeply inside you in the quiet and hold it with some gravitas as we ponder together.
And now listen once more.
And as you listen,
Notice where this story intersects with your own life right now.
Where do you find yourself?
Are you speaking?
Or are you listening?
Are you the one comparing?
Maybe you're the one standing in honesty.
Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt.
He said,
Two men went up to the temple to pray,
One a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee standing by himself was praying thus,
God,
I thank you that I'm not like other people,
Thieves,
Rogues,
Adulterers,
Or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week.
I give a tenth of all my income.
But the tax collector standing far off wouldn't even lift his eyes to heaven,
But was beating his breast and saying,
God,
Be merciful to me,
A sinner.
And I tell you,
This man went down to his home justified rather than the other.
For all who exalt themselves will be humbled and all who humble themselves will be exalted.
We're just going to rest now in some longer time of stillness and allow that image to deepen even more deeply in your heart.
Just standing quietly without comparison,
Without explanation,
Simply being present and simply being honest.
As we come to a close on this first season of parables and on this parable today,
The question that I invite you to take with you is this one.
Where in your life are you maybe being invited to a greater honesty?
And as you move into the rest of your day,
May humility become a quiet strength and may honesty become a place of peace.
And as this first season of reflecting on the parables comes to a close,
May these stories remain with you like seeds in the soil,
Waiting,
Growing,
Shaping the heart in ways that are yet unseen.
And may grace,
Peace and love be with you and remain with you in the waiting and the growing and the shaping today and every day.
Amen.
Thank you,
Friends.
Go gently and may God bless you richly.
Bye for now.
